Why did NTA’s ‘Zero Error’ policy fail?, Pg8

Key Highlights:

• The NEET-UG 2026 exam, taken by nearly 22 lakh medical aspirants on May 3, was declared compromised by the NTA on May 12, leading to a re-test.
• The Federation of All India Medical Association (FAIMA) has petitioned the Supreme Court seeking reforms or replacement of the NTA.
• In 2024, 67 students scored full marks in NEET, compared to two in 2023 and none in 2022, raising concerns about rank inflation and paper leaks.
• Investigations revealed that a "guess paper" containing 120 out of 410 questions was circulating before the exam, indicating a security breach.

Detailed Insights:

• Concerns over NEET paper leaks are not new, with allegations surfacing in 2024 when 155 students allegedly benefited from leaked question papers, though demands for a re-examination were ignored then.
• Following the 2024 controversy, IAS officer Subodh Kumar Singh was removed as Director General of the NTA, and the agency remained without a full-time chief for over a year.
• In March 2026, Abhishek Singh took charge of NTA and announced a "Zero Error, Zero Tolerance" policy, but a paper leak still occurred during the May 3 exam.
• The Radhakrishnan panel, formed after the 2024 controversy, recommended transitioning to a Computer-Based Testing (CBT) format to mitigate security risks, similar to JEE Main.
• Despite proposals to administer NEET-UG exams online, the NTA has faced challenges in augmenting its infrastructure to add more CBT centers, with only 552 available in 2026.
• The NTA blocked 120 Telegram channels for circulating fake question papers, but a "guess paper" containing a significant number of questions from the final examination was still leaked.

Key Concepts Involved:

• NEET-UG: A national-level entrance exam for admission to undergraduate medical courses in India.
• NTA (National Testing Agency): An agency responsible for conducting entrance examinations in India.
• Computer-Based Testing (CBT): A method of administering tests using computers, enhancing security and efficiency.